S. D. Locke's Proposal
You find the access tunnel, hidden within a natural cave a mile off the main road. You don't need the keycard. The door is ajar. It smells here. It smells like them. Hopefully, they've moved on. You've come so far already. You can't turn back now. There is a slick trail that leads from the cave entrance and into the depths of the site. If it's blood or shit - or something that smeared off one of those things, you cannot tell. You make a point to avoid it. You're still receiving the distress signal. It only started broadcasting yesterday. Whoever it is - you pray they're still alive. Your footsteps echo throughout empty corridors. Each footfall sounds for all the world like a dozen, as if you're not treading through the dark alone. Elevator is down - so you take the stairs, ending on floor B5: Keter Holding. You pass several empty containment chambers. The horrors they once held are long gone. If you're lucky. The trail takes you to an office branching off the main hall - the source of the signal. The door is cracked open, but stuck. You plant your feet, push with all your might. Something skitters out of one of the rooms to your left and around the corner before you can get a good look at it. Your first thought is 'dog'. It was on the ceiling, though. You take refuge in the room, slam the door behind you. It's dark here. You're safe. You take off your jacket and head wrap. It'd be a damn shame to die from something like hyperthermia after all that's happened. The sole operating emergency light rotates in its casing - casting a pale orange glow across the room every other second. As if the room itself had a pulse. There's shelving haphazardly placed behind the door - a barricade. You scan the room. Soiled clothes, half eaten food. Despite the presence of an adjoining restroom, there is excrement in a bucket in the corner. A pneumatic chamber on the Northern wall would have been delivering consumables to the occupant. The trail terminates in the corner of the room, forming a sick puddle. You spot three pharmacy bottles - further inspection reveals them to be various opioids. They're all empty. There's a desk with a computer atop it. Approaching the terminal, you can clearly see the blinking light of the power button. You take a seat. Turn it on. Emergency Protocol Activated. Clearance Level Safeguards Removed. Full Access Granted. Secure. Contain. Protect. Loading... Loading.. Loading... Loading.. Loading... Loading.. You hear footsteps just outside the door. Every first step comes down heavy, the second drags behind it. Loading... Loading.. Loading... Loading.. Loading... Loading.. Loading... Loading.. Loading... Authenticating... .. ... A dark shape blots out the light streaming in through the slit between the floor and the doorway. .. ... .. Authenticating... .. ... .. ... .. Authenticating... .. ... You tense up, waiting with bated breath, praying it will pass. You damn the deafening thumping of your heart for betraying your position. Please Wait... .. ... .. .. ... Please Wait... .. ... .. Please Wait... .. ... .. The shadow recedes. You breathe a sigh of relief just as the screen comes to life… Opening File �� AUTOMATED SECURE SYSTEM NOTIFICATION CODE 235 (ASSN-235) �� There has been an error in retrieving the current iteration of the SCP-001 file. You are currently viewing revision #3. Newer revisions can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Revision 3/12 updated 1312 days ago Item #: SCP-001 Object Class: Apollyon Special Containment Procedures: Due to its nature, SCP-001 cannot be contained. Survivors of the SCP-001 event stationed within secure facilities are to remain in contact with one another. Personnel are encouraged to attempt to reach Site-51 Site-19 by any means at their disposal. Personnel with knowledge as to the whereabouts of the O5 Council are to relay this information to the Administrator. Survivors attempting to travel outdoors must fully cover their bodies in protective clothing; preferably several layers. Travel by foot should be limited as much as possible. Cities - and man-made structures in general - provide the greatest protection. Formerly-wooded areas should be circumvented. Travel by air is preferable above all other methods. Personnel exposed to SCP-001 are to be considered lost. Compromised personnel are to be abandoned. Euthanization is not to be attempted. Collective instances of SCP-001-A that are of formidable size are to be avoided at all costs. Conductive electrical weapons have proven partially effective at immobilizing instances, and may be used for self-defense. Incendiary weapons work as well. Cryonic munitions are the most effective thus far. Testing has revealed that SCP-001-A is relatively safe to consume. This is only to be considered as a last resort in the absence of other options. As SCP-001-A may reconstitute within the digestive system, only small portions should be consumed at a time to prevent blockage. Personnel stationed at Site-19 are to pursue research concerning off-world colonization. Shuttles must be constructed as to not allow light to penetrate the interior. To those of you with families, or God forbid, children - I'm deeply, deeply sorry, you must push on. Do not let their deaths be in vain. We do still have time. Humanity may still have a future. Come to Site-19. We need all the hands we can get. Learn to embrace the darkness, friends. Fear the light. - The Administrator Description: SCP-001 is the designation given to the Sun, after an event on ERROR Data lost: ec172. Contact SysAdmin. resulting in ~6.8 billion casualties within the first twenty-four hours. The SCP-001 effect does not seem to result from exposure to ultraviolet rays, but rather light in the visual spectrum (~390 to 700 nm). The effect is similarly present in moonlight. Upon contact with visible light produced by the sun, living organisms liquefy at the point of contact, with the effect spreading until the entire organism is converted. Visually, this is reminiscent of melting wax. The time this takes is largely dependent on the level of exposure and size of the organism. Despite this restructuring, at no point do living organisms perish. Upon completion these organisms (SCP-001-A) take on a gelatinous consistency. Motile organisms will attempt to orient themselves in a fashion reminiscent of their previous form, to varying degrees of success. Flora typically remain physically inert, yet are still capable of photosynthesis, and still produce oxygen. Organisms capable of flight lose the capability to do so. Fauna remain sentient, and display behavior that parallels their non-anomalous counterparts when not absorbed into a collective instance. Humans retain a modicum of sapience and memory. Biological anomalies exposed to SCP-001 are affected in the same manner. It seems that exposure nullifies any previously expressed anomalous characteristics. Due to their composition, instances of SCP-001-A that make contact with one another may combine and blend at the molecular level. This does not seem to cause any pain or distress to the instances, though the resulting bulk can inhibit movement. Since the SCP-001 event, most instances have congregated into such collectives, which seem to possess no maximum volume. The resulting biomass is amorphous and chaotic. The component organisms will shift between a full-to-semi-liquid state - limbs and bodies will rise periodically from within the mass for a short duration, before deteriorating and being subsumed by another life-form. Collective instances will locomote by using their appendages in tandem to carry their mass. Larger instances will form a pseudopod from their constituent life-forms, and drag themselves about in a manner similar to amoeba. +Open attached file: Audio Log ... ... ... Access granted. A harsh static lashes out of the speakers when you open the file. It disturbs the stillness of the room, catches you off guard and quickens your heart's pace. There's some handling noise as the recorder adjusts their microphone. A brief moment of silence passes and then: There's a quiver in her voice that betrays her attempts at professionalism. She pauses, takes a deep breath, and continues. She sighs. She stops again, mutters to herself incomprehensibly - before you hear the unmistakable sound of a match-strike. She exhales audibly. She clears her throat. Commander Anand suited up and went to town on them the next day, tried to drive them off. It didn't turn out very well, poor bastard. But we did learn a thing or two, at least." Pause. Exhale. She trails off for a moment - before you hear the buzz of radio chatter. A voice responds. A man with an exaggerated, mocking tone. Logan shoots back. There's a clamor on the other end while the radio changes hands. A soft voice calls out, concerned. Logan responds. Pause. Exhale. Ari pleads. A creak - Logan shifts in her seat. Pause. Exhale. Logan continues: Ari interrupts her. There's a ruckus as Igotta presumably attempts to snuff her cigarette. Ari doesn't sound convinced. "I don't think I'm the one you need to worry about. I'm staying clean. I haven't even thought of touching mnestics in months. Trust me. Anyways, since you were wondering, I'm fine. The guys are sitting around playing cards, I'm tucked in the corner with my notebook." You can practically hear Igotta smiling as she jokes. Ari responds with a feigned laugh. Ari replies. A moment of silence. Then, a match-strike followed by an audible exhale. Pause. Exhale. She waits a beat, before ending the transmission. Revision 5/12 updated 1202 days ago Item #: SCP-001 Object Class: Apollyon Special Containment Procedures: No changes submitted. Information collapsed. Description: No changes submitted. Information collapsed. +Open attached file: Incident Report-001.1 ... ... ... Access granted. They've just been sitting out there this entire time, calling out to us, begging for us to come outside. The noise drew in more of them. There's this one mass that I'm sure must have a few dozen people and god-knows how many animals roiling around inside it. Screams and bleats and screeches and howls nonstop. Louder than all hell. The worst ones make this disgusting moaning - like they're actually enjoying it. They're not going to leave so long as they know we're down here. We managed to talk one of the D's into going out - see if he couldn't draw them away. He was surprisingly okay with the plan - all he asked for was a gun, and a single round. He made it out there and one got a hold of him, tried to get his mask off. He managed to work the pistol up beneath his chin in time, got it off. I figured he was lucky. After he fell limp though, it kept working at his suit. Pried off the hood, poured itself inside. Began tearing it off of him from within. He came back; started changing - dripping out of the suit and screaming and screaming and screaming. They won't even let us die. The Director has a plan. There's an escape tunnel hidden in his office. Tram under the Site will take us to a safe house - we should be able to start towards 19 from there. Revision 8/12 updated 1200 days ago Item #: SCP-001 Object Class: Apollyon Special Containment Procedures: No changes submitted. Information collapsed. Description: No changes submitted. Information collapsed. +Open attached file: Video File ... ... ... Access granted. You see her for the first time. Dr. Igotta is seated where you are right now. She has a pained look, her eyes are bloodshot. A large, wet, red-black blotch has formed on her breast-pocket. She draws a shuddering breath, parts her lips as if to speak, and stops herself. She bows her head, and cries silently. After a minute, she manages to choke out: She reaches into her breast pocket, and withdraws a finger. The glint of a wedding ring is visible above the severed portion. She holds it close, in cupped hands, and runs a thumb across the glimmering band. She sits like this for an eternity, whispering apology after apology, begging forgiveness, lost in the moment. She looks up after some time. There's a look of realization when she sees she's still recording; before she places the digit back in her pocket. She leans forward, as if to turn off the camera, when a radio crackles to life. It broadcasts white noise for a few seconds, and then, a voice that sets you on edge. It's Ari, almost. Her voice has taken on the disgusting, gurgling tone characteristic of the affected. Logan's jaw drops, what little color that was left in her face drains. It speaks out again. Logan rummages beneath the desk for a moment, and produces a hand-held radio. Her hands are shaking. The thing implores her; its inhuman speech curdles your stomach. Logan is in tears, her finger hovering just above the call-button. The Ari-thing draws a deep, wet, breath and speaks. Logan withdraws a cigarette with her free hand, followed by a pack of matches. Her shaking thwarts the first two attempts to light it. She swears silently. Third time's the charm, and she inhales a quarter of it in a single drag. The Ari-thing continues: Logan begins rocking back-and-forth. It starts singing. Logan hurls the radio across the room. It smashes somewhere off-camera. It's still somewhat operational - you can still hear the thing singing. More voices join in the chorus as the radio slowly loses life. A few, a dozen, then more. They continue singing until the radio mercifully dies. Logan rushes out of her chair, and you can hear her vomiting off-screen. The video films the empty seat for several minutes before she returns to end the feed. A lingering, paranoid sensation washes over you. You're being watched. You defensively dart your eyes about, though they take a second to adjust to the darkness beyond the monitor. The emergency light sweeps across the room, stretching and twisting the shadows beyond recognition. That's when you spot it. There, in the corner. Coming out of the puddle. Time slows to a halt. A pair of hands, coated in the lustrous black slime you followed through the facility, are on either side of the sickening pool, as if something beneath the floor is bracing itself, trying to lift itself up. Something inhuman. The head comes next, rising from the muck. Matted hair conceals its face, plastered over it by the mystery fluid. It turns in your direction. It stares at you from the corner, which once again falls into darkness. The emergency light continues its journey across the room. It washes over the puddle again, revealing nothing out of the ordinary. Revision 9/12 updated 986 days ago Item #: SCP-001 Object Class: Apollyon Special Containment Procedures: No changes submitted. Information collapsed. Description: No changes submitted. Information collapsed. +Open Attachment ... ... ... Access granted. Dr. Igotta appears on the monitor. She's lost weight. Her eyes are bloodshot and wide. On the table before her lay a knife, a bowl, and a stack of manila envelopes filled with yellowing pages. Atop this stack is a blood-stained parchment. She grabs the knife, contemplates it for a moment. With this, she slices into the palm of her left hand, and winces. You watch her clench her fist, draining her blood into the bowl. Revision 4847/3RR0R updated 985 days ago Item. Hurts. 0bject. Apologize. Special Containment Procedures: SCP-001 should not be contained. Survivors of the SCP-001 event stationed within secure facilities can never truly be with one another. Personnel are encouraged to get over themselves, and stop thinking they know better. You can't hide down here forever, love. Personnel exposed to SCP-001 aren't people you can just abandon. I didn't ask for you to save me. It wasn't your choice to make.Euthanization is notnotnotnotnotnot to be attempted. Conductive electrical weapons Why? have proven partially effective at immobilizing instances. You couldn't stand seeing me better off. Incendiary weapons tickle. Cryonic munitions are the most effective thus far. Personnel stationed at Site-19 have no regrets. Neither did I. It's never too late, babe. Description: SCP-001 is the designation given to the Sun, after we finally became free. The effects are instantaneous, resulting in release from all suffering, until you ripped me away.These changes seem scary, I know. Despite this restructuring, at no point will you die. I promise. Due to their composition, instances of SCP-001-A that make contact with one another may combine and blend and finally exist. This does not cause any pain. Since the SCP-001 event, most instances have congregated into such collectives, which seem to possess no maximum volume.dontbeafraid The resulting biomass is beautiful. The component organisms will shift in and over and around and through andinandoutandinandoutandin - limbs and bodies hold, never letting go. al1as0ne before deteriorating and being subsumed by another life-form. Collective instances will locomote by just trying to get close to you again. trying so hard. Let me in Let me go back There's a video file attached. Opening it, you see that it presents the room you're in. The feed seems to be coming from one of the security cameras, up in the corner of the room. It's dark, but you can just make out Dr. Igotta - laying on a pile of laundry along the far wall. She's writhing in her sleep. She seems tormented. Hurt. She's tossing and turning and mumbling nonsense-words. The camera shakes. It lifts upwards for a moment, before it focuses on her again. It starts moving closer. Slowly. The speakers come to life; picking up an airy, breathy static. As the camera moves closer to the doctor, it becomes clearer, crisper. It's not merely white noise, but dozens - hundreds of voices whispering unintelligibly over each other. You lean in, press your ear almost against the speaker, trying to discern what it is that's being said. Something strange stands out amidst the discordance: Are you paying attention? This next bit is just for you. You're not quite sure what to make of it, though. Looking back at the monitor, the camera has come to a halt inches away from the sleeping doctor. The voices stop. There is no sound. A hand. Black and oily and skeletal, reaches out for her, brushes away a lock of hair. Her eyes shoot open, she recoils in shock. The feed cuts out. Revision 12/12 updated 1 days ago Item #: SCP-001 Object Class: Apollyon Special Containment Procedures: File recovered from previous revision. Information collapsed. Description: File recovered from previous revision. Information collapsed. +Open Attachment ... ... ... Access granted. Dr. Igotta appears before you on the screen, looking even worse for wear than she did previously. Her hair is thinning, with large swaths appearing absent from the middle of her head. If they weren't reflecting the soft glow of the monitor, you would have assumed she no longer had eyes, for how deep they'd recessed into her skull. She stares ahead, unblinking. Her lips crack into a broken grin. She lets out a weak laugh, and displays her trembling hands. What appears to be the mostly-skeletal remains of a finger is embedded into the flesh of her left hand - in the stump that would have supported her natural ring finger. Two wedding bands loosely encircle the digit, laying atop one another. Something catches her attention off-screen. She cocks her head, listening. She begins rubbing her temples, repeating herself over and over again. A minute passes. She snaps her head back up, and addresses the camera. She brandishes a handgun. She opens the desk drawer, and deposits the firearm. She raises her gaze, stares into the camera. She reaches forward and ends the recording. You open the drawer, and pull out the gun. You absentmindedly turn it over in your hands for a moment, wondering where you'll go from here. Site-17? 64? Surely you can't be all that's left. The computer dings. There's been an update to the file? Item #: saffron skies raise the blazing sun a chance encounter, awkward displays one day, my love, we'd be as one Object Class: with two entwined. A set course, begun that frenetic, wild, lustrous haze; azure skies host the radiant sun Special Containment Procedures: above us beaming as we run down that aisle, a fervent craze that day, my love, we became as one with future unfolded - the life we'd won commitment and duty, for the family we'd raise cerulean skies ferry the shimmering sun Description: Buried. Shackled by fate - overrun by ever-growing resent and malaise yesterday, my love, we were as one now you lie here, the life in you gone in the dark outside of her rays crimson skies bear the torch; our sun today, my love, we'll be as one Without your prompting, the page begins playing a video file. You freeze when the image loads. It's a live feed, looking down on you from behind. About a foot away. A skeletal, inky left hand enters the frame, approaching you at a snail's pace. It's missing its ring finger. Without a second thought, you turn and fire in a frenzy. Hoping to drive off the specter. Your bullets meet an empty wall. There's nothing there. A second passes before you hear it - before you hear them. Sloshing, wet thuds coming down the corridor, accompanied by a chorus of screams. It slams into the door. Could there be a place to hide? It strikes a second time. What appears to be a face - part human, part... something - dribbles in under the frame. Bits of flesh from god-knows-what oozes in through the sides and reconstitutes into fingers, eyes, feathers. A third. Now it's pressing up against the wood, causing it to sag inwards. With a groan and a crash, the wood splinters. The door explodes open. Hands and arms stretch out of the mass, pulling you up, passing you from one to the next, on and on down the line. They drag you past the empty containment units, upwards and through the stairwell, through the halls and towards the tunnel. You're afforded a few, precious moments in the darkness. And at the end of the tunnel, there is light.Category:SCP Foundation